Pilates Chair - acsmstore.org

Nancy Dennison
PMA Certified Pilates Instructor
Washington, PA
“Pilates is exercise with very specific cues.” These
were the first words I heard when learning how to
teach Pilates from Christine. As with all of her work,
this new chair book follows those words. Unlike
many Pilates manuals, Pilates Chair: Challenging the
Core provides not only the exercises, but also a clear
rationale of why each exercise is done. This manual
will be useful for Pilates instructors and for rehab
professionals interested in using Pilates exercise as
part of a treatment program for their patients.
Ben Reuter, PhD, CSCS*D, ATC
Associate Professor
Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies
California University of Pennsylvania
The exercises in Pilates Chair: Challenging the Core are
presented in a very organized and logical order.
As a new teacher, I found this grouping helpful in
determining programs for all clients with specific
needs. The variations included with each exercise
provide safe and effective options for everyone.
Lauren Nahas, MPT
PHI Pilates Master Teacher
Pilates Director, Orthopedic and Sports Physical
Therapy Associates
Pittsburgh, PA
Challenging the Core
We have been teaching Pilates for 10 years and have
used many of Christine Romani-Ruby’s resources.
Pilates Chair: Challenging the Core is excellent, very
detailed, and easy to follow. We look forward to using
these chair exercises with all our clients.
Michael and Dawn Keating
PHI and PMA Certified Pilates Instructors
Owners of Healthy Life Unlimited Pilates Studio
The Woodlands, TX
ISBN 978-1-60679-131-8
9 781606 791318
51995
$19.95
Healthy Learning
Mary Ann Martin
PHI Pilates Trained Pilates Instructor
Pittsburgh, PA
With her background as a physical therapist and
athletic trainer, Chrissy’s understanding of the
human body is vast and always growing. Combine
that knowledge with her passion for Pilates, and
you can begin to appreciate Chrissy’s unique
rehabilitation style that sets her apart from other
health care professionals. Her talent is backed by
years of experience, which allows her to stand out as
an amazing teacher, professional, and mentor.
PILATES
CHAIR
www.healthylearning.com
Pilates Chair: Challenging the Core
Once again, Chrissy has written a useful manual for Pilates
instructors. The chair exercises in Pilates Chair: Challenging the
Core are presented with precise directions, clear pictures, and
easy-to-follow cues. This manual is a useful and much needed aid
for planning a successful chair class.
Christine Romani-Ruby, PT, MPT, ATC
Challenging the Core
Romani-Ruby
PILATES
CHAIR
© 2011 Healthy Learning. All rights reserved.
Christine Romani-Ruby, PT, MPT, ATC
© 2011 Healthy Learning. All rights reserved.
www.healthylearning.com
Pilates Chair:
Challenging the Core
Christine Romani-Ruby, PT, MPT, ATC
© 2011 Healthy Learning. All rights reserved.
www.healthylearning.com
©2011 Healthy Learning. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior permission of Healthy Learning. Throughout this book, the
masculine shall be deemed to include the feminine and vice versa.
ISBN: 978-1-60679-131-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010937527
Book layout: Bean Creek Studio
Cover design: Brenden Murphy
Front cover photo: David Savarino
Text photos: David Savarino
Healthy Learning
P.O. Box 1828
Monterey, CA 93942
www.healthylearning.com
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Contents
Dedication.....................................................................................................................................................3
Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................4
Preface............................................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1: The History of Pilates..............................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Neutral Spine Exercises.........................................................................................19
Leg Pumps (Footwork)
Modified Piriformis/ITB Stretch
Standing Leg Pumps—Front
Standing Leg Pumps—Side
Seated Triceps
Standing Triceps—Forward
Standing Triceps—Backward
One-Arm Push on Top
One-Arm Push Plank
Leg Push-Down
Forward Lunge
Side Lunge
Chapter 3: Spinal Flexion Exercises........................................................................................49
Hamstring Stretch
One-Arm Push—Standing
Washerwoman
Piriformis/ITB Stretch
Articulating Bridge
Spine Stretch
Pelvic Raise
Tendon Stretch
Side Leg Raise
Corkscrew
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Chapter 4: Spinal Extension Exercises...................................................................................71
Swan on Top
Torso Press Back
Tabletop
Swan
Chapter 5: Side Bending and Rotation Exercises............................................................81
Kneeling Side Arm
Mermaid on the Chair
Mermaid Legs
Mermaid Twist
Washerwoman Twist
Torso Twist
Chapter 6: Guidelines for Teaching Group Classes.......................................................95
Beginner Chair Class
Intermediate Chair Class
Advanced Chair Class
About the Author.................................................................................................................................. 100
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Preface
In his lifetime, Joseph Pilates designed 12 pieces of exercise equipment to be used
in his method of Contrology. Each of the 12 apparatus served a purpose in Pilates’
method of Contrology and he presented the wunda chair as a form of home exercise
equipment. An original film of Pilates, shared by his student Mary Bowen, introduced
his wunda chair to the public.
The film opened with Pilates and his wife Clara in their living room. Clara was sitting
on the wunda chair, and Joseph was facing her on the couch. This version of the wunda
chair converted into a recliner. The user would turn the wunda chair on its back, lock
the pedal, and place cushions on the seat. In this short film, Pilates demonstrated how
the chair transformed into a piece of exercise equipment and then performed several
of his exercises. It flowed like many of the infomercials of today.
Although the original version of the wunda chair is still available today, many
updated versions are available. For example, Ken Endelman of Balanced Body
increased the height of the chair and split the pedal into what he calls the combo chair.
This chair accommodates the taller clients of today and allows separation of the pedal
tension to each side of the body. The combo chair also offers variable tension springs,
easy spring attachment, and several safety features to protect the fingers and toes
from harm. Another common variation of the chair has been a lighter, more portable
version for group classes. These chairs are lower with a wider seat, and they are light
for stacking and moving. If you are shopping for a new chair, it is certainly in your best
interest to explore all of the versions and consider the chair that best suits your needs.
All Pilates chairs have several features in common. The top of the chair is called the
seat, and the front of the chair is the side with the pedal. The area on the front of the
chair under the pedal is called the no-step zone. It is important to keep the feet and
fingers clear of this area when stepping or pressing into the pedal. The back side of the
chair has a mechanism for attaching the springs. This book will use the combo chair, so
this area will have what is called a cactus. The cactus has four positions, and they are
numbered from bottom to top. When a spring is attached at the bottom position (or
number 1), it has a low tension. When it is attached at position 4 (or the top position),
it has a high tension. The combo chair has a total of four springs—two light and two
heavy. The light ones are colored white and are located on the outside of the pedal.
When indicating the tension for an exercise, the text will specify the number of springs.
The color and the position can be varied according to body size and strength. When
noting a client’s spring tensions in a visit record, write the spring tension as follows: “2
white at position 2.”
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Not all chairs have arms, but the combo chair has arms that are removable. These
arms are used for several of the standing exercises. They are adjustable and should be
positioned to the height of the client’s shoulder when standing next to the chair.
Arm
Seat
Cactus
Pedal
Photo compliments of Balanced Body
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This book will describe and discuss only a small fraction of the hundreds of
exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. To the best of my knowledge, I have attempted
to maintain the original names of the exercises as provided by Pilates, but I have
organized the exercises and workouts using up-to-date research on core exercise. As
mentioned in the history of Pilates in Chapter 1 of this book, Joseph Pilates indicated
that all movement comes from a stable center, which he called the “powerhouse.” This
powerhouse encompassed the rectangular area of the trunk. This theory matches much
of the recent research on core strengthening, which indicates that the core functions
differently than the limb musculature. The core muscles act through co-contraction to
stiffen the powerhouse (torso) during activities of daily living and sport (McGill, 2010;
Fenwick 2009; Freeman, 2006; Kavcic 2004). This book incorporates this research
in categorizing Pilates’ chair exercises. Modern theories on strengthening the core
musculature encourage challenging the spine through creating power at the extremities
and limiting the stress to the spine through movements such as flexion. Repeated
bending of the spinal discs has been identified as a mechanism for injury (McGill,
2010; Callaghan, 2001), and these movements should be reserved for daily function.
The Pilates repertoire offers a wealth of exercises to challenge the powerhouse by
creating power at the extremities. The exercises in this book are organized by position
of the spine so that you can easily determine which clients should perform each
movement and then how to progress client programs and classes.
References
Callaghan, J.P. & McGill S.M. (2001). Intervertebral disc herniation: Studies on a porcine
model exposed to highly repetitive flexion/extension motion with compressive forces.
ClinBiomech. 16, 28-37.
Fenwick C., Brown S. and McGill S.M. (2009). Comparison of different rowing exercise:
Trunk muscle activation, and lumbar spine motion, load and stiffness. J Strength
Cond Res. 23, 1408-1417.
Freeman, S., Karpowicz, A., Gray, J., and McGill, S.M. (2006). Quantifying muscle
patterns and spine load during various forms of the push-up. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
38, 570-577.
Kavcic, N., Grenier, S., and McGill, S.M. (2004). Determining tissue loads and spine
stability while performing commonly prescribed stabilization exercises. Spine. 29,
1254-1265.
McGill, S.M. (2010). Core training: evidence translating to better performance and
injury prevention. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 32(3), 33.
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1
The History of Pilates
“People won’t understand the brilliance of my work for 50 years,” claimed Joseph
Pilates before his death in 1967 (History of Pilates, 2001). Surprisingly, he was right.
His exercise method, now called Pilates, is the fastest growing method of mind-body
fitness. The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual worldwide survey
of health and fitness trends initially recognized Pilates in the top 10 trends impacting
the health and fitness industry in 2008. Pilates has since remained strong in the top
10 through 2010 (Thompson, 2009).
People who knew and trained with Pilates over 50 years ago are not surprised by
the success of his methods. Mary Bowen, a master teacher who originally trained with
Pilates, states that the method is growing because it is effective and because people
continue to share in Pilates’ vision (Bowen, 2005). “He had a passion about the body
and a genuine desire to teach others,” states Ron Fletcher, another master teacher who
originally trained with Joseph and Clara Pilates (Fletcher, 2005). In his lifetime, Pilates
designed 12 pieces of exercise equipment, over 500 exercises, and an instructional
method that comprise the fitness regime. Pilates had no desire to become famous; he
named his method Contrology, not Pilates as it is called today. He was just fanatically
driven and infected with an incurable need to produce results.
Pilates continually supported his work with research. He was a scientist, performing
some of the first outcome studies by taking photos and films of his clients before and
after learning Contrology. Pilates wrote, “I am not a mercenary or a quack. I welcome
the opportunity to furnish detailed information,” and he did (Pilates & Miller, 2000).
Pilates supported his claims with summative evaluation through photographs (Morrison
& Kemp, 2004). He set high standards for himself and his teachers, not to mention
the students, and he expected nothing less than perfection. Pilates would use the
before and after photographs to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercises within his
instructional design. If the students did not gain results, he would find the exercises
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or the equipment to be at fault and would redesign them. Pilates used other types of
evaluation as well. He listed client symptoms and complaints as well as posture and
noted how they changed over time.
Pilates also included instructional strategies in his vision for Contrology. He stated
that the exercises needed to be practiced daily to the point of subconscious reaction.
Pilates prescribed a specific order for the performance of the exercises, and he had
precise instructions for each exercise, including a thorough process for the flow of the
breath, the position of each joint, and the cueing to be provided by the instructor.
Repetitions were specifically controlled to keep from introducing fatigue. Pilates also
incorporated verbal descriptive cues to help the participant visualize what he wanted as
well as proprioceptive cues, where he touched areas of the body to assist in successful
performance of the exercise (Fletcher, 2005).
“This will be the exercise that people will want and need in the new millennium,”
predicted Pilates in his book originally published in 1934 (Pilates & Miller, 2000).
Through his writings, it is evident that he knew that his work would not become
meaningful for a very long time. Still, he continued to create a sense of urgency for
the public to adopt his changes. He worked for long-term change but recognized small
changes as steps along the way. A common comment from Pilates to those studying
at his gym was, “We have only touched the tip of the iceberg” (Fletcher, 2005). In his
book Your Health, Pilates stated, “Time and progress are synonymous terms; nothing
can stop either. Truth will prevail. That is why I know my teachings will reach the masses
and finally be adopted as universal” (Pilates & Miller, 2000).
Over and over, Pilates would allude to the public’s misunderstanding of physical
training as it relates to health and the unnecessary causes of human suffering that
would shorten lives. He offered his vision as a method to lead mankind to universal
health (Pilates & Miller, 2000). He was what Csikszentmihalyi (2003) would call
a “hundred-year manager.” The hundred-year manager has a vision that gives life
meaning and offers hope for the future—he cannot merely survive on the desire to
make a profit. In his book that shared his vision, Pilates wrote, “I make this appeal to
reach those interested in the future welfare of the human race, not for profit” (Pilates
& Miller, 2000).
Born near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880, Joseph was a frail child who was plagued
by rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever. His father was a prize-winning gymnast, and his
mother was a naturopath (Bowen, 2005). He had great aspirations to be strong and
healthy, and he studied exercise and anatomy even as a young child in an attempt to
develop his own body. By the age of 14, he had developed his body so well that he
was modeling for anatomy charts, while practicing as a boxer, gymnast, skier, and diver.
These accomplishments were the start of Pilates’ confidence in his method of exercise
and the development of his vision for mankind.
At the age of 32, Pilates traveled to England to continue his training as a boxer
and found employment as a circus performer. Two years later, World War I broke out.
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In 1914, Pilates was interned along with other German nationals in a camp for enemy
aliens in Lancaster (Linderman, 2003). It was in this camp that he began to design
and practice his system of 500 exercises that he would later call Contrology. Pilates
taught his exercises to fellow inmates, and when the Spanish influenza came in 1918,
his exercise regime was credited with keeping them alive. This flu was an epidemic
around the world, taking the lives of millions, more than even the war. Those infected
contracted severe pneumonia and died within hours (Billings, 1997). Pilates’ exercises
required proper breathing and his well-developed techniques are believed to be what
kept the infected inmates alive. News of this exercise that saved the lives of hundreds
of men helped to build public confidence in the method that Pilates named Contrology.
Through this event, Pilates shared his vision and professed that Contrology would
be a method to prevent disease and death. In 1934, he explains that he wrote his
book to allow “those who are interested to read, digest, and know what is wrong with
the human race today and how its physical ills can be cured or prevented” (Pilates &
Miller, 2000).
Pilates continued to share his vision of Contrology when he was transferred to
another camp on the Isle of Man. At this camp, he took a job as a nurse and worked
with many of the internees who suffered from wartime diseases. This camp offered the
conditions to stimulate the development of the Pilates equipment. In response to the
needs of bedridden soldiers, Pilates attached the springs from their beds to the bed
frame. These springs allowed the patients to exercise and assisted with daily activities
(History of Pilates, 2001). Without these conditions and patients, he may have never
developed the equipment to be used with Contrology.
The crafting of the equipment became part of Pilates’ vision. He filed his first patent
in Germany in 1924 for the reformer and received it on March 15, 1927 (United States
Patent Office, 1927). Today, the reformer is the most widely used piece of Pilates
equipment. It offers a unique workout and a method to teach and evaluate the student.
Mary Bowen describes the springs as the most unique feature of the equipment. She
alludes to how the springs “inform” the body and teach the participant how to move.
The springs used with Pilates are educational more than resistive. They provide a
method of self-evaluation through direct feedback to the participant. The students can
grade their own performance by how the equipment responds to their movement.
This feedback within the instruction enhances successful learning (Morrison & Kemp,
2004).
After the war, Pilates returned to Germany, where he was asked to continue to
work with the German Army. Disappointed with the political direction of Germany, and
lacking the desire to train men to fight, he made the decision to leave the country.
Boxing expert Nat Fleischer encouraged him to immigrate to the United States, and
Max Schmeling, a world-class boxer from Germany, made it possible. On the ship to
the United States, Pilates met his future wife and partner Clara. Clara is described as a
“ballast” by Mary Bowen (Bowen, 2005). Joseph had charisma; he was an innovator,
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